Exposing the Shadows
by Neon Synthesis
Summary: Skip the first dozen paragraphs, they're WAY too detailed and boring
1. Chapter 1

Whatever comes out of that portal," Rose turned the portal

Whatever comes out of that portal," Rose turned the portal. "Will have a fragment of your soul in theirs." Then turning back, she smiled gaily once again. "Whatever comes out of there will be yours."

"Where were you?" Crystal questioned in place of her father, who's mouth was opened and was ready to say something.

"I went shopping again," Bane replied with a casual tone, hands stuffed in his pant pockets. "Mexico's got a lot of interesting food."

Bane, 13 year old teen prodigy, stood at the doorway of a hotel room 304, waiting for his younger sister and father to let him in. "Oh please," Crystal rolled her eyes. "You went out shopping for 4 hours without any money to spend?"

"_CRAP_," thought Bane, shifting his gaze nervously,"_She knows where I went._"

His clueless father, Leo McBrown stepped into the fray.

"Well, next time tell us where you're going. You wouldn't want to break your old dad's heart, now would you?"

"No sir!" I quickly nodded in agreement, and stepped into the hotel room.

A few hours later, when Leo went out to buy dinner for his children, Crystal confronted Bane.

"You should thank me for not telling dad," said crystal, jumping onto the bed and turning on the TV.

"Thank you soooo much…" Bane sarcastically replied, eyes still hooked onto the book.

"Brother…." Crystal asked nervously.

"uh-huh?" Bane replied.

"The gem's been swelling lately…" Crystal said, pulling down the collar of her shirt.

Her thin, white neck was emblazoned with yellow, crystallized streaks, like crushed topaz. "And it's been spreading too, like….like…"

"Don't worry. You're just going through a phase…." Bane indifferently replied, turning the page of his book.

"That coming from a guy who still argues with his sister…." Crystal retorted coolly. Bane grinned.

Just then, the door unlocked and was pushed open, Leo standing at the doorway with a strange look in his eyes.

"Hey guys!! Look what I got!!" He shook the plastic bags in his hands.

"Enchiladas, fish tacos, and….apple cidar?" Bane said in disbelief as he sniffed the air. "And what's with the people behind you?"

"Ah! Pretty sharp there, Bane." His father smiled proudly. "I met these folks on the way back here." He motioned to the people behind him. Two figures stepped into the light of the doorway. One, was a teenage girl with brown hair about Bane's height and age, thin build, and supporting the other limping person.

Bane's eyes widened in surprise. "_Spiky, silver hair, pale face, yellow wolf-like eyes…._" He reaccounted that single glimpse of face before running off.

"HOLY CRAP." Bane thought. "_This guy_ could get me into a hell lot of trouble…."

The teenage girl snappily said, "Hey Leo, give some enchiladas to SilverBane here."

"Sure!" popped Leo cheerfully as he handed over a neatly wrapped, steaming bundle.

Bane and crystal looked at each other. Something was up with their dad. "Dad, are you alright?" Crystal asked, trying to sound sincere. "You seem _really_ tired. Why don't you lay down while we take care of….our…guests…"

"Heh, thanks Crystal, I'm pooped-," his father said, smiling sincerely.

"NO," said the teenage girl suddenly, her voice a resonating forcefulness that made Bane and Crystal's head spin.

She laid the limping man down carefully onto Crystal's bed, while saying, "You were going to buy us some bandages for SilverBane's wounds, right?!." Even though Bane heard the sounds of her snappy voice slide through his ears, what came into his mind was something completely different. Blurry images of himself throwing the book aside, and getting off the bed flowed into his head. Each image smoothly flowed into his dormant black mind, and it felt nice too…….

"Bane!- What are you doing!!" a familiar voice cut in, causing the images to stop at a standstill, until he opened his eyes.

"W-what?!" Bane said, whirling his head around till he found Crystal. "What happened?! Is Dad gone?!" Lapsing in his sister's silence, he went over and sat down on the bed, thinking about why his dad was being so nice, _obedient,_ to those strangers.

"_Wait_," he though, his eyes wide in realization, touching the bed with his hands…

"Wasn't I on the bed before….before….," Bane stuttered, utterly confused. With a face divided equally with surprise and fear, he turned toward Crystal. "What happened?"

Crystal wrapped the collar of her shirt around her neck tightly, whispering silently to her brother, "The moment she uttered those words, I felt a little static in my mind, and some pictures started entering my head…..Everything in those images, moving, felt incredibly…..real. Then, I…I…" She faltered, shaking her head in disbelief, at her own words. "Brother,….the gem….the y-yellow thing gave off pulses that…." She paused again, taking a big gulp of air. "rippled across the images. And then it felt- like….. I woke up-"

"fresh from a dream," Bane finished for her. The two thought silently over this, pondering while laying on the bed, brother and sister. Bane turned his head around, looking at the teen. She sat over at the corner of the TV, sitting and scribbling something onto paper. So far, by the looks of it, she had filled up several pages, which littered the table.

Then, he sat up, turning his body away so the strangers couldn't see……

He nudged Crystal, since he needed her opinion in this matter. "Crystal!" he whispered harshly. "Crystal!!" "_It's no use._." Bane realized. She was asleep. He turned around, crlegs crisscrossed, and slowly rolled up his sleeves. He had a secret too.

A secret, that was shared between them two. Bane traced the glittering, red outline of the smooth, gem-like surface of his arms. A round, red gem in the middle, and crystallized streaks that winded around a short part of his arm like veins. A material similar to crushed ruby. Normally, it would be constantly glowing, like a glow in the dark tattoo. Bane pulled his sleeves down again. Not that it mattered. The reason that

this secret was known only to them, was that other people couldn't see it. Nor could they feel it, as they often asked their dad why there was a gem stuck on their body parts.

"Well, Whatever," Bane shrugged, as he got up to turn on the TV.

"Stop," the teen said, turning her head toward him. "You'll wake up this grouch if you turn on the TV."

"_Wow…..nice eyes…_." Bane though randomly as his hormones picked up.

"Then I'll just mute the volume," Bane replied, trying to sound haughty.

Not only did he want her to talk back, he wanted to experience that strange, mental phenomenon like before. He wanted to challenge it. Mainly, he just wanted to see if it really happened at all….  
Bane turned on the TV with a popping sound, making SilverBane snarl and turn in his sleep as the volume that boomed out was immediately muted. Bane went back to the bed, expecting the teen to command him to turn it off, but was severely disappointed when she turned back to writing.

He sighed as he turned back to the TV, when the News Headlines suddenly caught his eyes. "Mexico no longer safe at night. Terror that stalks the shadows takes livese of several men. Right after their screams were heard downtown, in city."

"city?!" he spoke loudly in surprise. "Isn't that where we are?"

"BE QUIET," the female teen said again, her voice not loud but seemed to jumble around after sliding in his ear. This time, he feel the combination of waves and another liquid substance being divided by a pulse…..from his gem.

"It says several men were slaughtered, here, in city. That's where we are! So what if….." Bane thought for a moment, pondering the thought of his dad's body limp on the ground screaming. "I'm going to go find my dad," Bane said with a finality in his voice, as he jumped off the bed and went to get his jacket from his suitcase.

The female teen looked as if she was going to stop him, but then merely answered, "Well, whatever. If you find your dad, tell him to get some more food for us."

"_If_ I remember," replied Bane as he hurried out the door. The last thought Bane had before he left, was , "Who the hell'd marry that girl?"

"What a troublesome guy," sighed the female teen, Rose. As she jotted down "Mission Complete," she thought about that black-haired teen. Why did she even bother thinking about him? Everybody in this town was bound to die anyways. She set down her pen.

Rose frowned deeply. She hadn't expected the Daemon to appear in this town so quickly. No, she hadn't expected it to kill so many people for its food. Even though she was a reaper, she still couldn't put up with the death of innocent lives. She just wouldn't…..later on, when the shades were dead and gone, she would definitely help out the unfortunate. And save more lives than they had taken. But first things first, she said to herself quietly. "Need to wash my feet."

As she entered the bathroom, taking off her socks, she could hardly believe that she was only just a 13year-old. With all that she went through….she felt she lived through two generations already. She met apon death many times, sometimes the cause of it. She saw nature blossom every spring that she traveled across the continents. She saw the poor, starving children in South Africa, the dark, dangerous alleyways of rural New York. The crowded streets in China.

She felt as if, with her own eyes, she had seen the many faces of the world. She looked in the mirror as she twisted the water faucets. A pretty, simple teenage face returned her stare…. She smiled. "Can you tell me…how it's like to be normal?"

She was about to soak her feet with warm water when something prickled up her legs. She focused on her legs, concentrating on releasing part of her soul there…until finally, her gem surfaced her skin.

It seemed it was reacting something, so there were only three possibilities: Either the gem felt a possibility that the user would die, or her soul was being tampered with, or her soul was going through a change or stunt in growth.

But, she knew the reason. "Shoot," she swore, fearful for her life. The Daemon was here, and the 5 souls of the people on TV apparently didn't satisfy its needs. If it was still hungry, it would most likely go after people with more soul density. That, would be her. And SilverBane.

Plus, SilverBane was way too weak; he couldn't control the Daemon before due to the loss of a large amount of his soul. So, after the Daemon suddenly started attacking them, they fled immediately as fast as they could, with Rose carrying SilverBane on her back.

"But, I've overused my gem's power," Rose closed her eyes and turned on the faucet anyways. "If it does come, I'll just stall it while SilverBane flees." After all,

he held the key to the Reaper's survival. Determined to die for her clan, she soaked her legs in steaming water, and let her troubles melt away…..

"LEO MCBROWN!!" Bane howled into the air, veins pulsing on his clenched fists. He was _not_ in a good mood.

He had just searched all the isles 20 times at least, asking the strangers around (which actually wasn't such a good idea) if they had seen a strong-built man with wavy brown hair and a mustache, wearing a blue polo shirt. And of course, they said no, and offered to take him home. Fat chance. Bane decided to scour the town square, which was still full of shining lights and people, even in the evening.

"Maybe he already -cough- -cough- left?" he asked himself, choking himself with air after running through the entire town square calling "Leo McBrown." Adding the fact that the square had over 20 intersections for stands and small, 2 roomed shops, any normal person would of collapsed from doing so. He groaned, tired of searching for him.

He caressed his arms, sore from being thrown fruit at while he was yelling like a maniac. Bane was sure that someone threw a pineapple at him. Thinking about how _friendly_ the people in Mexico were, he abruptly stopped walking because of a new, burning sensation in his arm. "Geez. What is it now?" Bane complained, slapping his forehead.

Rolling up his sleeves, he noticed that his gem had grown a few streaks outward, like Crystal's. And to top it all, it was not only glowing, but pulsing as well. He'd never felt this happen before, and it was a bit creepy….but he definitely wasn't nervous. He just shoved it aside in his head marked "Just a phase."

All of a sudden, a bizarre mist rolled into the intersection. Bane sensed a shift in the atmosphere; A dark, infinite silence that replaced the festive lights and noises that filled the place just a moment ago.

"W-what's going on..?" stuttered a Mexican woman, shaking a surprised Bane from behind. "Where is my husband?? Where is my nina??"

"I don't know!!" Bane whispered, turning around to meet a weathered old lady in traditional Mexican clothing. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where-"

Bane paused, suddenly, his eyes wide open in surprise. His arm was burning up, his nerves prickling like crazy. "Uh…I have to go." He wrestled past the lady, and ran deeper and deeper into the mist.

The constant cries of the little girl chilled Bane. The once festive street had been immediately drowned in silence once those mists rolled in. Piercing that silence now, was a little girls shrilly cries for help. Bane could not help but sympathize for her, and found himself edging toward the direction of the girl. Right into a dead light post.

"SH" He swore, biting his lips as a dim, fazed image of a little girl appeared before him. She stifled her cries, hiccupping despite her tightly clenched lips. "D-do u hiccup know where m-my mama is?" she made out.

Bane walked over, patted the little girls head, and sat down. "Just let me-ouch clear my head." Sighing, Bane stared into the mists, thinking. No wonder the little girl was screaming. To have civilization suddenly disappear in front of you, was a very depressing feeling. "Was your mama about this tall, wears a red dress? Bane finally asked, brushing the tears off the little girl's face.

"M-mama…" she sniffled, "Ye-yes. I think sniff that is my mama."

"OK then!!" Bane laughed, patting her on the back. "I know where your mom is!"

Just then, a violent gust of wind tore in the direction of Bane, a sudden wave of frost that slapped against Bane like chilled steel. He wrestled through the wind to cover the girl, who was clinging onto the dead lightpost. "HHHANNNG ON!!" He yelled into the wind, as he covered her fragile body like a shield. Biting his lips to induce the agony, he experienced a swelling sensation that prickled in his gem. His body began to succumb to the feeling, a numbness that spread like warmth.

"WELL THIS SUCKS," Bane roared, trying to hype up his attitude, raise their spirits. But then, all of a sudden, massive, bellowing pounding could be heard, rhythmically shaking the earth. _Almost like the prowling footsteps of a jaguar…_..Bane thought. His load felt even heavier once the girl fainted, hanging limp from his arms.

Finally, the blizzard cleared. But Bane knew this wasn't a good omen.

Something bad was going to happen. He could tell that the vibrations were from far away to his left, and that they were slowly edging toward him. A feeling of silent dread crossed his mind, and he sat there, frozen in fear. The mist around him seemed to dissipate as the pounding noises grew ever closer. Bane's heart hammered as he turned around, and saw two, venomous eyes through the clearing mist. Ghastly transparent white, sharp like slits, and with the intention to _feed_.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. First lesson he ever learned from his sensei, was too keep a sharp and ready mind. Lowering his heart rate by suppression, cleansing his mind of outside interferences, it was like being thrust into a different world. Saying nothing, he got up, with the little girl on his back, and opened his eyes. He was ready to roll.

The thing in the fog stopped moving, towering veiny bulges and grotesque white skin like human arms now visible. It's eyes hungrily surveyed its prey, and let out a screech that seemed to shake the foundations of the whole city, at nearly 20000 Hertz.

But Bane, who fled away the instant the thing opened its mouth, escaped from the full effects of the hunting-call, which caused several buildings to crumble as they whizzed by. "Where do I go?!" he said to himself.

Whooshing by a lightpost, he sped deeper and deeper into the mist, with absolutely no clear view of where he was going. Rapid, thundering of the earth, informed Bane that the thing had begun its chase. For its meal. _Him_.

--page break?

Chapter 3 "What Am I?"

I was dead. DEAD. Every time I turned around, the beast seemed to gain on me. Every passing second my strength waned, and the thing gained on me in our chase. Of course, I couldn't go anywhere urban (people could get killed), so I had to crisscross around the mist in circles.

WOOOOSHH a huge torrent of wind slashed at my back. Wincing, I turned back for a quick look and immediately bolted at maximum speed. My hammering heart, tired from the pressure yet multiplying its beating rate, broke all focus and control I had. That thing was RIGHT behind me!!

I breathed in deep, decelerating. Then, I abruptly skidded to a screeching halt. Just in time. A great surge of wind passed overhead and I immediately sprung backwards in the opposite direction. And _tripped_.

_OF ALL THE STUPID S-_ Bane swore, shaken and in pain. His arm trembled as he tried pushed himself up. However, his muscles were stressed to their limits. Why? Bane thought, gritting his teeth. Am I really going to die?

Bane's body just gave up. Even his heart rate abruptly declined, causing him to spit out blood. Limp and weakened, all he could do was shudder as the thing hovered over him.. That's when a blinding red light filled his eyes, and he felt his whole body go numb. Am I dying? Aren't I supposed to see a white light?...Widening his eyes, his vision slowly blurred back to normal. Breathing on him now, ready to sink its massive, crystalline fangs into him, was the monster.

But something wasn't right. Why is it that he could see the creature so clearly, with perfect vision, in the obscuring fog? New, black marking came into view, tattooed onto the creature's body. The instant before the creature snapped its jaws to finish him off, an invigorating surge flowed through Bane's body. As if by instinct, he motioned with his mind for the energy to gather in his arms, and easily back-flipped out of danger with one hand.

Then, he reacted immediately to the creature's sudden turn with a frontal punch that knocked it back several yards. Bane whistled in awe.

The stunned creature picked itself up, snarling (at least that's what it seemed like), and baring its fangs like a ravenous wolf. Fierce Hate gleamed in its eyes, as it quickly lunged at the boy. Gently hopping off the floor, Bane executed a violent backflip off of the beast's outstretched claws. Jumping from one place to another, however, still took a toll on him. His strength ebbed sharply every time he came in contact with the creature.

"DAMMIT," Bane roared as he turned tail and ran.

Someone's life was in his hands, and for some crazy reason, Bane felt he needed to protect it with his life. Such a small girl...Bane thought as he cradled her now, while bolting further into the mist. "You can't run away forever," his dad once reminded him

when he decided to give up on impressing his crush. "There will always be problems that you'll have to face full-on." Bane pondered this thought for a while, then sighed.

"What the hell am I doing?" he thought. His decision was made. Picking up speed, he made sure that he was as far away as possible, then gently laid the girl onto the ground as he skidded to a halt. He sighed, smiling, remembered the old saying, "smiling at the face of death."

Then, he flinched, after a violent vibration of the ground became apparent. From the relentless pounding noises, it was obvious that the creature was close.

The mist rose up, thinning up as the hideous beast finally stalked closer. It wasn't running, since it's prey wasn't either. It bellowed a wheezing noise, resembling a laugh. The minuscule creature had just made things easier. The creature slowly arched its back, ready to pounce.

Bane smirked. The creature was underestimating him, like many of his previous opponents. "READY FOR THIS?!" he hollered as the creature sprung, claws outstretched. In a split second, Bane flew under the creature as it leapt over him, unleashing a flurry of furious jabs, each blow heavier than the previous.

The beast tucked it's body as fast as it could, its claws ripping at Bane's moving arms. Sensing the danger immediately, Bane immediately executed a rising block, and was rigidly thrown off far off to the left.

Without giving him time to recuperate, the monster twisted and charged at him, baring his fangs like a wolf. Bane, who was still rolling from being tossed away like trash, could feel his arms bend into a position that would have normally snapped his arm off. He twisted his arms, and pushed off the ground as hard as he could, only to be rammed mid-air by the monster, which impaled him in the chest with his fangs. Bane's eyes widened in pain as his muscles tore away, and suddenly breathing became impossible, an icy, helpless feeling. He gasped as he grasped the fangs with his weakening hand.

The beast, seeing him still alive, tossed his body around with his rotating head, and Bane swore from the extreme pain that would make a grown man scream like a little girl. "SH, U F#ING BASTARD," he cried, his body failing him, weakening. But call him stubborn, cause he wasn't giving up. No Fing way.

Mustering all the strength he had left, he attempted his best to free himself from what would be his death, straining his arm's past their limits, teeth clenching and eye's in painful slits. Harder, and harder. The beast yelped in surprise.

_Harder and Harder. Stronger and harder………_Bane strained and strained his arm's, as the pressure on the fangs grew more and more powerful, _growing…..growing….._

"RRRARWWWWWWARRGH!!" Bane cried as he felt the cold, deadlocked fangs crumble underneath his hands, melting like water. "Wait, _Melting_? Bane fell to the ground on left arm, which immediately snapped and sent flares of stimuli that seared away at his brain. The beast, whom was just as surprised as Bane, reared its head and backed away quickly, howling in pain at its broken fangs, which continued to melt.

Bane tried to collect his uneven breathing, eventually violently coughing up blood all over the ground. Now half-conscious, his vision was blurred, and his whole body felt numb and ultimately, unmovable, like a huge stone. He felt his world slipping away from his grasp, his vision growing darker……"_Heh_….what a sad way to die….," Bane weakly chuckled, lips streamed with blood. He eyes gently closed shut. Consciousness was nearly gone, fading fast…. "That little girl…..I failed to save her……-"

"Bane?! BANE!?" a girl's voice stirred in his mind, the word swirling around and echoing…then, his head suddenly dawned in realization. He felt a sinking, never-ending pit of uneasiness in his stomach. His heart, which seemed to cease beating, began fluttering. Crystal was here.

Light footsteps pounded on the floor, then, accompanied by a scream that pierced the night. Bane opened his eyes. The beast had its huge, massive claws on his sister. Crystal! "NO!! GODDA#" Bane swore as an immediate wave of anger overtook him. He pushed himself off the ground with his right arm, only to have his legs collapse in a heap. "No….," Bane bit his tongue ferociously, until it bled all over. "KILL ME, LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!!"

He pushed his body forward, with only his arm, gaining inch by inch, slowly. Anger glowered in his eyes, and fear was instilled in his heart. Could he get there in time? What could he do? Crystal screamed again, sobbing.

"B-BA-" the claw sunk even deeper. Crystal stifled a scream, but her eyes showed the true torture she was going through. "R-RUN. RUN!!"

"FAT CHANCE IDIOT," he roared. Then he collapsed. Just a few more feet….. a few more….. He broke down sobbing. "Why?! WHY!?" H clenched his fists, and his salty tears mixed with the dried blood on the ground. Hell was before his eyes, his sister dying, wreathing, screaming before him. His heart was breaking in two.

Then, he felt as if he were slipping away again, growing weaker. Another realization dawned him. The thick mist, that was surrounding the creature, was eating away at him, like an acid. His flesh never decayed upon contact, but everytime he touched the beast; or got near it, he grew indefinitely weaker.

"Please…." Bane prayed. "Let me save her…."

_How far would you go?_ whispered a dark, feminine voice, in his head. _To save your sister?_

A normal person would of questioned his sanity by this point, but the only thing his mind, that pushed aside his dreams and goals like useless things, was to save his sister. A possible chance to save her sister, appeared before him now.

Bane replied, with dead seriousness in his eyes, "I'd sell my soul to the devil."

A pause . Then, a dark chuckle. _Amusing..._

_Lets hope you don't do that……._

Bane felt an unnatural seething, burning spreading throughout his body, all of a sudden. An invigorating surge of some kind of strength, that originated from the gem on his arm.

But this situation was different than the previous one.

And the difference, proved to be fatal.

Chapter 3 For the sake of love

The beast was contempt. Turning over its prey with its claws, it licked its lips in fascination. Two humans with so much warm, sweet soul energy to sate its hunger.

It stretched its fangs as far as possible, massive black carnivores drooling with a clear substance, excited to finally enjoy its meal. As its fangs closed in slowly, the creature sensed danger.

The boy's soul energy was increasing. _Rapidly_.

Bane weakly forced himself up, straining his leg muscles to stand upright.

Fatigue, pain, and the muscle ruptures, were all gone. All that was left, was a numb feeling of emptiness. He did not have trouble because how tired he was, but because

he couldn't control his movements as well as before. Unlike the earlier surge of energy,

this invigoration was much stronger, almost like…..a heart beating.

_It's because your evolving. Your gate has been opened, and your energy is trying to manifest itself into a usable form._

Bane stared straight at the beast, with a darkness in his eyes that had never been there before. "_El diablo está aquí_." The voice, out of nowhere, joked.

He grinned, a dark look across his face. "The devil is here."

With one lightning-fast bound he reached the beast, which anticipated this and jumped across the entire complex to safety. However, Bane was already two steps ahead. Right before the creature could land, Bane seemed to appear out of nowhere, and thrashed it vertically back into the sky with an effortless jab.

He continued abruptly without mercy. After jumping into the sky alongside the creature, he barraged the beast with powerful, consecutive kicks that sent it flying away again.

The beast roared in outrage and pain as it spun around in the sky like some helpless being. When would his prey just lay down and die? As gravity took its toll, the beast strained its back, and arched its neck. What looked like its jagged spine, split in two and peeled off slowly, along with its hide. Soon, pallid wings spread out wide, something like that of medieval dragons, and aided in its sharp turn toward the boy. Bane was falling fast, and his arms flailed around helplessly. Why couldn't he have been three steps ahead?? Bracing himself for an abrupt landing, he felt a strange change in wind direction. When he looked up, it was too late.

The Beast rammed straight full force into its tiny victim, sending it flying away at inhumane speeds. Then, it twisted around and ascended, gliding next to him and attempted to grab him with its huge claws. Bane, now even faster, grabbed onto the creatures claws before they could crush him, and hopped onto the creature's back.

Bane pulled back the creatures neck, using it as a huge, thrashing steering wheel to get closer to the ground. Despite the beast's true strength unleashed, Bane's maintained control over its neck for a crash landing.

Lower and lower, faster and faster they spiraled down, the wind resistance tearing up Bane's face and skin like flubber, but he kept his grip. Either that, or he would get the chance to feel how a crash landing in flying felt like;

From the plane's point of view.

He looked down. And his heart skipped a beat. Bane let go of the creature's neck, and sprung back into the air as high as he could.

The poor creature, who crash landed straight through a building and became submerged halfway into the ground, was still not dead. It was true that it lacked energy now, and that its skin was burnt badly and bruised an ugly hue. It was also shrieking in pain from having a metal pole stuck through one of its legs. It howled in agony, writing.

Some where, just barely below the clouds, where oxygen was incredibly meager,

a flying speck could be seen rising slowly. This tiny speck, smaller than the enormous, titan clouds, the even greater sun, the towering skyscrapers, was a mere fourteen year old boy. From this point of view, he was among the grand scheme of things, tiny. Insignificant. And he'd known that.

"Why should I try?" or "What's the point?" Before, he could care less about life. His dreams were too childish, even for him, and soon he cut the bonds between his friends and him. They were useless too. The whole world seemed to be against him, everyday was depressing as more and more lives were lost and replaced. He wished he would just die in his sleep, a painless, eternal escape from the torture; to die in the hands of fate and not even notice.

But now he wanted to live. He wanted to live, so his sister could live. He wanted to have another day now, to see his sister smile again, her coyish expression and tinkling laughter. Tears found themselves trickling down bane's face, glowing against the moonlight.

_Live again, for your sister's sake, if not your own. _

Bane cried. "I k-know." His gem began to hum a soft blue, and the flow of energy was redirected all to his right arm. The same invigorating surge that scared him at first with it's high pressure, was now a much more controlled, pleasant feeling, like drowsing yourself with cool water after exercising in the sun. Then, it began to fluctuate again, like before. Something miraculous was happening. As more and more of the energy piled into his arm, it condensed, hardening slowly from a glowing blue liquid to a steely, navy blue glass. As if the gem was connected directly to his mind, he knew instantly what it was forming and adjusted his form to match it.

Hurling down faster and faster, his arm, once completely covered with the glass like substance, began revealing crystalline veins that were connected to the gem. Banes heart thumped like a machine gun as the pressure built up inside his arm, and the friction in the atmosphere was burning him up. Bane looked down, barely able to see the beast as he was buffeted by the strong winds that tore against him. The beast, although alive and apparently well, was immobilized from being impaled through its leg. It was pathetic to see it writhing, trying to rip of its own leg to break free from its agony.

Put it out of its misery. "Gladly."

Crystals erupted from the veins like the process in which mountains are formed but in just a millisecond. His entire right arm was wrapped with them. With his right arm reaching down and the other arm bracing it like a lance, Bane plummeted down at an insanely dangerous velocity, accurately straight and deadly.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness. A lulling void of eternity, of deep sleep, that dragged Bane in slowly and slowly….He felt his entire body floating in space, airy and weightless, like a feather. A lulling, feminie voice called to him, withl such a sweet, sad voice….. "Baaaannee…..Baaaaanne, coooomme heeeeere -

"Ibham hewa awieeb?" a solemn voice rang out. It echoed across the infinite dream world which Bane floated away in, like a clear bell. It was rather annoying, actually, to him. "Ibham hew awieeb?" Bane tried to open his eyelids, but they felt heavy and unbudging, like boulders. "Ihm hew alive?"

The last word spoken caused Bane's head to stir a little, until in a snap he fully understood the sentence. "Is he alive?" Everything came rushing back to him, all the gruesome events, details, and..his sister's haunting scream.

One of his eyelids fluttered, and for a fleeting moment he saw who was asking the question. The snotty yet graceful looking girl loomed over him with a sorrowful expression, nervously repeating, "Is he still alive?"

Bane could almost smile. To know someone like her actually cared….was well….comforting.

"I don't think a dead boy would be staring at you like that, IDIOT." Bane froze. Apparently, she wasn't alone. She must've brought along that sleeping hag of a man, with the moon-white crowned hair, and the wolf-like expression.

The teen girl's expression slowly changed to that of embarrassment and dislike, although it was obvious from her ripening cheeks that she was blushing. "W-what?! T-this, this perv! She immediately kicked him in the balls, and Bane twitched as a flare of pain shot in between his legs. "Just how long has this idiot been staring at me?!"

Tiredly rolling over and clutching that area, Bane looked up and his blood froze dry. The wolf-like man's wild, luminescent yellow eyes met Bane's black and silver trimmed eyes, and the man's gaze seemed to hold Bane in place ,devouring and swallowing all of his strength and confidence. Bane averted his gaze immediately and notice that the man had been grinning the whole time, his facial expression showing no signs of harboring hatred of intentional harm. _Scary_, Bane thought, as sweat rolled down his face.

"Rosel, it won't matter. He'll be _dead_, by the time we're gone," declared the sharp, yelping voice of the man. Bane froze again. "Why though!?" Rosel suddenly burst out, angrily. "Can't we just lay off killing for once?? This kid here literally saved our lives, and the only chance of survival for the Reapers. And you still want to lop off his head?" Bane listened intently, trying to grasp the situation….but he still was confused. Maybe the reason that man was injured in the first place…..was because he went on par with the creature?

"If he's that strong at this young age, he's a definite menace to our clan. He could grow up to be one of their generals in no time." He turned toward me. "Besides," He hoisted Bane up with one hand and no effort. He stared straight into Bane's eyes, and probably went even further. He growled, "_His eyes piss me off_." He took a menacing step forward.

"No!!" Rosel glided to Bane's aid, blocking the man's way. "Leave him alone, _Silverbane!!_"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," replied SilverBane, roughly pushing her out of the way.

Rosel fell to the ground but bounced right up, stubbornly blocking his way again. SilverBane growled, a menacing animal-like sound from his throat. His pupils suddenly dilated, and he bared his dagger-like teeth like….a wolf. Rosel was undeterred however, keeping her ground stubbornly. Then, Bane did something that surprised both of them.

"Then lets make a deal." Bane rose to his feet clumsily. "I've seen your regenerating abilities in action…. during your stay in the hotel. That jagged wound to your heart healed in no time." Weakly, he shuffled his feet and hands into a fighting stance. Their locked eyes once again, an internal battle between their souls. Even Rosel stood, transfixed and shocked. He wasn't even supposed to be _alive_, let alone able to fight.

Minutes passed, the night was waning as a bright orange shade illuminated the clouds. Silverbane's lips twisted into a wicked grin. "Y ou've got more backbone than most of your race boy!" He roared in laughter. "Fine! Even though I could kill you with just a swipe of my fingers-" he motioned to hand, which seemed to be covered in a slick, glistening metal. "I'll grant your pathetic wish. You die, and your sister lives"

Rosel opened her mouth to protest, but Silverbane barked, "DESIST!" He turned arched his head toward her, and spat. "YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH MY PREY, UNDERSTOOD?!" She whipped her head away fro his gaze, lips quivering. Bane felt a pang of guilt. She was only his age anyway, and tried to save his life. He sighed and tried to act cool.

Besides the fact that he was gonna die. "Hey. Don't worry." Rosel turned around, her face wet and cheeks glistening.

She was crying. Someone was crying, for him.

Bane bit his lips in guilt. "My sister is my life, so as long as she's alive-" He attempted a smile. ""Ill be fine."

Suddenly, Bane's whole body jerked forward, the wind knocked out of him. When he tried to swallow for air, he couldn't. Cold, thick daggers were lodged into his chest, ruthlessly turning and twisting. Blood and pain mixed into a nightmare as chunks of his rib cage were ripped out; felt his brain being wrenched apart from all the pain signals he was receiving. His chest was on fire, pain searing away his strength.

But that happened all in a mere second, and time seemed to slow down. Bane looked and saw Silverbane's glistening fingers stained with his blood, and his wolf-like eyes staring at him.

Silverbane, "Your name is Bane eh?" He raised him up, oblivious to hi victim's painful expressions, and dripping rub red blood . "Trash like you shouldn't deserve such a title as BANE." Silverbane smirked, realizing that Bane's body gave way already, sagging down on his steel claws. His eyes grew cloudy, expressionless, his neck craned down no longer supported by life. Bane was dead.

"The legendary wolverine guardian….the fiercest of all the legendary animals… ….._Bane_." He paused for a moment, then resumed to crushing what little was left of the boy's body. Then, he noticed a blue light reach his eyes. He scanned the boy's body until he found the source, and smiled crookedly. "_I almost forgot_…" Silverbane reached toward's Bane's glowing right arm. "_To crush your soul_."

With his agile, metallic claws, Silverbane reached for the glowing, blue gem, which started vibrating and humming at louder frequencies. He chuckled. "I can't believe a fourteen year old _kid_ with such _tiny SP_ massacred a Daemon…."

In an instant, he crushed an entire section of Bane's arm, grinding the gem until it clattered down in tiny pieces. Silverbane tossed the Bane's dead body into the rubble, and turned to walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time he got to Rosel, she had already healed the raw muscles in Crystal's stomach vicinity

By the time he got to Rosel, she had already healed the raw muscles in Crystal's stomach vicinity. A faint scar on her swan-soft like skin was the only mark visible, of what she went through just then. "I used the Deamon's heart," Rosel said quietly. She was coldly avoiding his gaze, tenderly touching crystal's arm. She wanted to say so much, to be with Bane's sister when she woke, to cry with her when she saw Bane's body lying there, but in the end, all she managed was "I'm sorry." She got up, and left, dropping a huge chunk of glowing onite. "Here's what's left of the heart."

Silverbane chuckled, amused. He walked over to where the onite stone was, and scooped it up with his claws. "They're still stimulated?" he grumbled, and he willed the metal on his hands to melt, into a warm black material that seeped into his skin. "Ahhh….." Soon, he was staring at his fingers again.

Then, he turned to have one last look. This was one of the most interesting occurrences in his thirty bloody years. "Heh. Bane eh?" He narrowed his eyes. "You don't deserve to be called such a title." He turned and walked away, as if nothing had happened.

Chapter 4

Is All Lost?s

When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing. Instinctively, he brought his arm up hesitantly, to feel his face. But he felt nothing, for where his face should have been. Nothing. Starting to panic, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

As before, only the light of darkness reached his eyes, haunting him, laughing. Bane shuddered, eyes opened wide. He was devoid of his senses, it seemed. Adding along the fact that he was alone, with no one around for…..just being away from society was hauntingly eerie. "Please, _Please_, he almost begged, questioning his own sanity. "Please, this is just a frickin nightmare……a nightmare……." He clutched at his head, but there was no touch, or feeling, only space. "This is madness….." Bane paused, feeling his heartbeat thumping like a jack hammer against his chest. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, each long breath drawing the pure air, and all timed evenly. This was a little technique invented by Crystal to steady and slow your heart beat. Ironically, it was originally for being scared of the dark as children. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to smile….._Wait_.

"**Crystal**!!" he hollered at the top of his lungs, _as if it would help_. But the dark void even drowned that out. This must be hell," he whispered to himself, with pain creased all over his face. "First, they rip off my all my senses, then they toy with my pain." His empty, unperceivablable words, only added to the lonely, uncomfortable aura he was sulking in. "No. Wait. Just think…." He finally quieted down. He thinned his breathing even further, and began piecing things together.

He was one of those lazy geniuses, never recognized in society because they were against the spotlight, because they _loathed_ it. They were almost the polar opposite of the celebrities. Their brilliance was all matter of effort, and motivation. Motivation was childhood friends, friendly gossip, and family, and simple joy of excelling at sports and mind-rotting academics . Effort was measured by how far you would go for a certain goal, how much pain you were willing to endure to see its fruition. Besides an irreplacable family, he failed with a big f in all other aspects..

But now……the simple, clear image of Crystal's face…and the darkness that mocked him, taunted him, laughing, was all the motivation he needed…. to do anything. Now, how far would he go?

"Lets see……I've been to this place before….but it wasn't nearly as dark, and I could still feel…..and barely see…….that was when…." The rush of memories returned to his head on cue. "Right after I fell from the sky…when I should have been dead…..  
_Dead_. That word made the most sense now. _He was dead_. Bane winced. "Next question, he waved away the truth away, because there was more to it. How did he know? _**This wasn't his first time here**_.

_What next?_ An array of possibilities were already forming in his head; but fishing for the right one was the problem. Yet he couldn't believe how many times the word "hell" crossed his head. _Anything is possible. If life-sucking creatures, gems of unimaginable power, and a weirdo with a crazy hairdo like that exists, then why not hell?_

_Obviously, it doesn't have to be the pitchfork and devil deal…but… It is a form of punishment. _Bane frowned, puffing his lips. Suddenly, a fresh idea popped into his head. But could it really be that way? _Could this universe somehow…be connected to the whole gem mess? The first time I traveled here, I could feel my gem throbbing like an angry vein. _Only an aching emptiness was left on his arm, as if a strong friendship had been severed by fate. Or a vital part of his body disemembered.

Like a secretary sent to organize a jungle of cluttered papers, Bane tried to pull from his memory everything he knew about his gem. It was really unfortunate that he didn't have a notebook. _Couldn't use it anyways_, he puffed._ First off, I know its part of me. It reacts accordingly to my feelings, and sewn onto my body by crystal like veins. I can't wrench it off, and only Crystal, who has a gem herself, can see my gem. _

_Next off, it was an unfathomable pool of power. How else could a fourteen-year old boy sprout crystals from arm with the force of several tons and survive a five-hundred foot fall? The reason had to be his gem, which was now gone. _

But the gem was much more than power to him. Somehow something was lacking, aching, empty……something he just couldn't put his fingers on…..as if a part of his body just evaporated into thin air. His solid body? No. Consciousness requires a brain. Or does it?

Wow…..Bane noticed something. Despite speaking now with his inner thoughts rather than his lips, the words were crystal clear and melodic…..and hung for a long time like guitar notes. Somehow, it was incredibly easy to think. Light and airy. and…..free of all…..

Then it hit him.

_Emotions._ Bane whispered to himself. Then he swore when no sound came out. _Doh, thoughts only_…..

Hate. Fear. Anger. Regret. These over-powering strains, coupled with the fact that he was in a world engulfed in utter darkness, would drive anyone completely insane over time. No matter the age, no matter the strength of his or her will. No, the reason why he hadn't gone crazy, wasn't because he had an unbreakable will. It was because his emotions were some how lacking; dulled and therefore, he could not go crazy.

But emotions were stored in the head, right? Right?... Then why, now, when his gem was gone, were his emotions gone too? Did his gem somehow harbor his emotions?

_NO. Not possible. I was scared as hell when I first woke up in this place. But if that was the case, then why are some of my emotions still intact? _

All of a sudden, he was overtaken by an overwhelming rush of anger. Almost like adrenaline, this sudden wave of anger seemed overpower his thoughts, and he couldn't cool down. His brain was being wrenched and burned by the intense hatred he felt, and the impulse, to kill.

_Useless…….Useless……_ In Baneji,'s head. _Useless…USELESS……WRETCHED BRAT…… _Rage overtook him, searing his will away while he roared bloody murder. But what was he angry _at_? Bane shuddered, despite drunken with rage.

_The voice in his head was not his own_. It was a hollow, back of the throat snarl, voice with a rich deep tone like a fog horn. But it was cold too, it had a dark, chilling edge that would freeze .

(fill in gap)

Even though his lips had never even grazed an ounce of alcohol, this was probably how it felt to drunk. His mind was reeling in loose circles, and his body felt strangely hot and relaxed, as if all this time his body was enmassed with he weights and they finally fell apart_. This is the farthest thing from being induced _the voice growled deeply.

_Yeah, well, whatever_… Bane shrugged. Even though this voice had helped him out of tight situations before, the attitude he made out was that he was being taken advantage of, like a tool he would throw away the instant its usefulness was gone.

"Heh…..Is that so? Is that what you really think of me?" said the voice, hurt. But then, suddenly, Bane could almost feel it sneering at him as it continued, "_For a fourteen-year old lowly brat as yourself, you amaze even me…._."

"_I made the right choice in choosing you as my host….." _Bane felt goosebumps slide down his cold, sullen bare neck, as his lips parted to a mocking grin.

_Just what are you?_ Bane muttered under his breath.

Again, his face moved of its own accord, scrunching the eyebrows and lips twisted in a crooked smile. _What am _**I**?

Silence ensued, cloaking all of their thoughts under it's lonely veil.

Then he spoke three simple words, that almost made him flip over.

"I"

"Am"

"Bane."

Then he noticed something he didn't before. Something even more sinister than the darkness was swallowing up his arms, engulfing and binding them. _U bastard…._. Bane cursed, accusation and threats dripping from his breath.

_Is there something wrong?_ the voice asked innocently, but Bane's unwilled smirk revealed everything. _Are u mocking me??_ _Do you know what unfathomable, impossible situation we're in? I must be mad!! I'm speaking to a voice in my head! What the HELL?!_

He willed for his arms to move, but they were dead as tree stumps. Invisible tree stumps.

"_Remember this_," spoke the voice, suddenly resolute, clear, booming. Bane stopped his cursing, alarmed at his sudden overwhelming presence. His mere words commanded respect. _Time seems to work against my motives….. And as you've finally noticed…._

Bane imagined spitting at the darkness, and gritting his teeth. "_Yeah, __**no kidding**_."

"_Tch." "Cease your idiotic struggling. All of it is futile, useless. All your observations, your quick-witted calculations, will to no ends aid you. _

_Your world, your life, your soul, no longer…..is governed by mere __**human**__ restrictions. _

Bane felt his heartbeat skip at the disgusted, vile way the voice uttered "human." "_W-what are you to mock humanity like that_?" Bane challenged him angrily, although hw feared his answer.

Then, he felt his face muscles move again. His eyebrows knotted, his pupils dilating, eyes narrowing in agitation.

"_**I**__**told you before, **_**boy**_**."**_

"_**Iam**_**Bane**."

Silence fought its way in, and Bane's mind welcomed it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, made any sense now. He began to shake his head in confusion, but for some reason, it wouldn't budge. "MOVE," Bane cried, suddenly exasperated, fear taking over once again. He tried pumping his legs, twisting his torso, wiggling his nose, but nothing worked. Every part of his body seemed numb to his will.

Then, to his horror, he became aware of it. "It" was something tangible, as dark as darkness, some sickly slush that was alive. And his entire body was washed with it. The thought of something wet eating away at his stark naked body was the creepiest sensation of a feeling ever.

_It will be all over soon_. _Your body is now mine_….

And it got worse. It was a dark, bothering sensation, creeping up and filling all the crevices in his head. A flood of darkness filled the inner caverns of his mind, reaching further into places he never knew existed. So incredibly chilling, it actually violently churned and seared all his thoughts to a frozen crisp. _Sto p……i…t….my… s..anity….. g….on….e._


End file.
